Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh articulated India's comprehensive coastal development strategy at the National Conference on Coastal Ecology, Security and Sustainability (CCESS) 2026, emphasizing that India's 11,000-12,000 km coastline must be viewed as an integrated space combining ecology, security, economy, technology and human development. The Minister highlighted the significant potential of marine resources and the Blue Economy, noting that India's historical association with oceans reflects deep ancestral knowledge of marine environments.
India is advancing its Deep Ocean Mission with indigenous capabilities, including the recently launched research vessel ORV Sagar Manthan and development of robots and submersibles for deep-sea exploration. The mission aims to explore largely unexplored deep ocean resources including metals, minerals, and fisheries, with research ongoing on black sulphite and marine mineral extraction possibilities. These efforts are positioned as crucial for taking India's economy to the next level through utilization of untapped marine resources.
The technological dimension of coastal security is expanding through ocean observation, surveillance, communication, remote sensing, and emerging technologies that strengthen India's understanding and preparedness for coastal and marine environments. The Minister emphasized that coastal infrastructure and ports remain central to connectivity, trade, and economic growth, requiring sound scientific understanding for sustainable development.
Coastal communities are recognized as integral to the ecosystem, with efforts focused on improving livelihoods while ensuring environmental protection. The Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar campaign, running for five years, will continue from September 12-19 with clean-up drives and participation from NGOs, organizations, and citizens, including a pledge for coastline cleanliness. The campaign previously included a 75-day initiative in 2022 across coastal states.
The conference serves as a multidisciplinary platform bringing together earth sciences, academia, defence, maritime institutions, legal experts, industry, and coastal stakeholders to develop an integrated understanding of coastal challenges. The Minister called for connecting ocean science with national policy to contribute directly to coastal planning and management, moving away from isolated sectoral approaches toward a holistic Coastal Bharat framework where environmental sustainability, economic opportunity, scientific capability, and coastal security reinforce each other.